International Olympic Committee Awards Gary Hall Jr. 10 Replica Medals Lost in the LA Fires

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded champion American swimmer Gary Hall Jr. with 10 replica medals to replace what he lost in the fire.

All of Hall Jr.’s belongings burned in the Pacific Palisades wildfires, including medals he won at the Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), and Athens (2004) Olympic games. Per Fox News:

Hall won gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in the 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay and took home two silver medals in the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle in those same games.

The Phoenix, Arizona, native won two more gold medals in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games in the 50m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay while also collecting a silver and bronze medal in Australia.

Hall, age 50, received five gold medals, three silvers, and two bronze. Upon receiving his replica replacements, Hall Jr. jokingly said that he will do “a better job of taking care of these.”

IOC president Thomas Bach presented Hall Jr. with the medals, calling it a “unique ceremony.”

“I don’t think that it happened ever before and I hope it will never have to happen again,” Bach told Hall Jr. “We hope also to give you a moment of relief and joy which will help you now in the further process to get over what you had to go through with this tragedy.”

Hall Jr. thanked the athletic community for supporting him during his dark night.

“Having friends and family, I am a very lucky man,” Hall said. “The support that I was offered from the athletic community has buoyed me through the darkest of nights.”

“That is what this (Olympic) family is about – rivals and friends. I am just so appreciative to all of them. I can’t thank the Olympic movement enough for their support through this very difficult time,” he added.

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